News and Notes on the Nationals Minors from the perspective of the fan, sportswriter, and amateur scout

A Couple Cuts, Few More Releases

Late yesterday afternoon, the Nationals announced the reassignment of 1B/LF Micah Owings and UT Carlos Rivero to minor-league camp. Both will presumably begin the season in Syracuse.

MLB.com beat writer Bill “No, I did not play Stevie’s Dad on Malcolm In The Middle” Ladson also had the news of another set of releases:

RHP Alex Kreis (Hagerstown)

OF Ray Kruml (offseason pickup)

LHP Brandon Mann (offseason pickup)

RHP Hassan Pena (Syracuse)

With less than a week to go before the minor-league season starts, it’s now a waiting game to see how the rosters shake out. Unfortunately, if there are any more releases, we’re back to relying on MiLB.com and Baseball America (warning: if you haven’t been to the site in a couple of days, it’s been redesigned) as the beat writers have (quite happily) left Viera for this afternoon’s cash cow vs. the New York Yankees.

I’m expecting rosters to be released on Tuesday and Wednesday (e.g. the 3rd is Media Day for Potomac). The past two seasons, the first roster to hit the streets, er, inboxes has been Harrisburg, which is quite apt this year since it’s the most anticipated roster of them all… Matt Skole, Brian Goodwin, Nathan Karns, and newly acquired Ian Krol, for example. Wait: Am I missing anybody?

Author: Luke Erickson

Since 2009, Luke Erickson has been chief writer, editor, and bottle-washer of NationalsProspects.com. Potomac is his home base as a season-ticket holder, but he has visited every affiliate north of Florida at least once, with multiple trips to Hagerstown and Harrisburg.
View all posts by Luke Erickson

8 thoughts on “A Couple Cuts, Few More Releases”

Hassan Pena is the name I best recognize of all of those. Looking back to your previous columns, I see he was suspended last year for “vioating team rules.” Did we ever find out which rules he violated, or should I not care because he has been let go? Here’s hoping all the guys get another chance if they are looking for one.

The betting money is on either Batavia or Jamestown, given that the former has been losing money while being run by the Rochester Redwings, while the latter has been working in one of the oldest parks in the league and hasn’t been drawing very well. It’s not as big a factor as it’s ever made out to be, but the Jammers are currently a Pirates affiliate and WV is already home to a Pittsburgh farm club.

It should also be noted Binghamton is rumored to be moving to Ottawa, which could potentially free up that city/stadium for whichever of those two doesn’t move… assuming that none of the stadium-starved affiliates (*ahem*) in the Sally League or Carolina League are lured up there (unlikely, given the demographic dropoff).